For three weeks, I had the opportunity to test one of the latest products of Minisforum, a Chinese brand specializing in minicars. Although little known, this company offers an increasingly wide range of computers, interesting alternatives to traditional brands. Their main advantage is the excellent ratio between performance and price, which makes them a very flexible choice for various applications such as office automation, gaming, servers and NAS.
In this article we focus on one particular product from Minisforum, Minisforum V3 tablet under Windows 11. This tablet is compatible with the MPP (Microsoft Pen Protocol) stylus, the same one used with the Surface Pen. We tested this machine for several reasons. First of all, it is billed as the first 3-in-1 tablet on the market, thanks to to its V-Link socket which allows the tablet to be used as a passive secondary screen by connecting it to a laptop, for example.
In addition, Minisforum V3 is equipped withAPU Hawk Point d’AMD, with AMD’s Ryzen 7 8840U processor that offers an excellent balance between power consumption and performance. Its iGPU, the AMD Radeon 780M, also offers impressive 3D performance on paper. The tablet is equipped with 32 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and our test model has 1 TB of storage space.
Technical sheet
| Model | Miniforum V3 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 318mm x 213mm |
| Definition | 2560 x 1600 pixels |
| Display technology | IPS |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| CPU | Ryzen 7 8840U |
| Graphics chip (GPU) | AMD Radeon 780M |
| RAM | 32 Go away |
| Internal memory | 1000 Go |
| Operating System (OS) | Microsoft Windows 11 |
| Weight | 928 grams |
| Depth | 9.8 mm |
Design
Let’s start with a description of the machine: Minisforum V3 is a massive tablet PC with a 14-inch screen and a matte finish to reduce glare. Although it is a little thick, it is made of magnesium alloy, which makes it very stable while remaining relatively light.
There is ventilation on the back, sides and top of the machine to prevent overheating.
As for ports, the Minisforum V3 has three USB-C ports, one of which is a VLink port that allows the tablet to be used as a second screen for a PC or laptop. However, it is important to note that this port cannot be used for other things, which can be a little frustrating. Therefore, you have two truly usable USB-C ports, in USB4.
The Minisforum V3 comes with a stand and keyboard. The stand attaches magnetically to the back of the tablet and has a kickstand identical to the Surface’s (it’s a shame the kickstand isn’t built-in), making it easy to adjust the drawing angle. The keyboard attaches magnetically to the bottom of the tablet and folds to close. It’s held in place with light magnets on the side so it doesn’t move around too much. The tablet’s four stereo speakers provide good quality sound, although they are a bit echoey.
Minisforum V3’s detachable keyboard is just fine. The keys offer a noticeable pressure point, but could be a little firmer. However, it’s easy to navigate and all the most important features are available, including a four-level backlight.
The 11 x 6.5 cm touchpad is perfectly integrated into the keyboard. Its very smooth surface can be a bit of a problem for sweaty fingers, but it responds quickly and recognizes input accurately. Inputs register with a quiet click, requiring no additional pressure in the lower third, allowing for smooth use across the entire surface.
Top performance
We remind you that the Minisforum V3 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor. This processor, although very powerful, remains quite energy efficient, which is an important advantage for a tablet. In addition, the tablet integrates an AMD Radeon 780M iGPU. The iGPU benefits greatly from the 32GB of RAM.
So what do you think? We found this computer efficient for its size, with many pleasant surprises in terms of graphics power. Not only are the benchmarks impressive, but the in-game performance is also solid. When plugged in, the system runs at 28 watts and maintains this performance consistently over time, with a smooth and responsive user experience.
It is also important to note that the Minisforum V3 tablet can be combined with external graphics cards via USB4. This feature can significantly increase the graphics capabilities of the tablet, although we have not tested this configuration. This opens the door to future improvements for those looking to maximize the performance of their device.
From a subjective point of view, the performance of the Minisforum V3 is excellent. All tasks were completed without hesitation. The combination of a modern SoC, fast DDR5 RAM and PCIe SSD works optimally, which is reflected in the performance results of the tablet. It is particularly suitable for intensive tasks.
However, in battery mode, at 18 watts, performance is significantly worse. Processing power and graphics capabilities are reduced, limiting the tablet’s performance for more demanding tasks when it’s turned off. This reduction in performance can be problematic for those who need mobility while maintaining high capabilities.
To get connected, the Minisforum V3 is equipped with a Wi-Fi 6E module (AX210) capable of operating in the 6 GHz frequency band. This allows for much better data rates than the 5 GHz bandwidth. The performances obtained with this configuration are satisfactory.
In terms of support and modularity, the LPDDR5 RAM is soldered and cannot be replaced. Technically, only the SSD can be replaced.
Screen not without defects
And the screen then? This Minisforum V3 has a 14-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz. This screen supports VRR (variable refresh rate) or FreeSync… that’s good considering we have an AMD chip. With a native 16:10 aspect ratio, it is practical for most applications. In addition, this display offers a maximum brightness of 500 nits and covers 100% of the P3 color gamut.
In practice, the definition and screen size provide a good balance that provides a pleasant visual experience. However, a few design flaws mar that initial impression. In particular, we observe a phenomenon of blurring or “mura” effect. This phenomenon leads to irregularities in the brightness, which gives the impression that it is wrinkled. This can be particularly annoying when viewing uniform content, such as web pages with white backgrounds or dark videos, where these anomalies become more visible.
Additionally, the screen’s matte finish, while effective at reducing annoying reflections, has a significant impact on color quality and viewing angles. Colors may appear less vibrant and viewing angles may become narrower, affecting the user experience.
In addition, the screen brightness, which we measured at 500 cd/m² in SDR, seems a little “fair” for use outdoors or in very bright environments, which may limit its use in certain environments. Likewise, for the Delta-E-2000, the color differences seem too significant for professional graphics content. These weak spots are important to consider, especially for those looking for flawless display quality. Nevertheless, the definition is well adapted and the P3 color space is well covered, which is worth noting.
VLink is not reliable
Obviously, we tested VLink, a feature that allows the tablet to be used as a secondary screen on another computer. Unfortunately, the results are disappointing.
This feature doesn’t work at all with Macs and isn’t very effective with iPhones or iPads. Even within Windows, compatibility varies between computers, making the usage experience unreliable and frustrating.
Not much autonomy and heating
Another annoying topic? The autonomy of the tablet leaves something to be desired. When playing a video at 15 W, it lasts about 6 hours, while when browsing the web, the autonomy is reduced to 4 hours. Under heavy usage such as gaming, the battery lasts only around 1 hour and 30 minutes at 15 W. This performance may prove insufficient for extended use without access to a power source, which really limits mobile use.
However, the tablet has a 65W fast charging system, allowing a full charge in 1 hour and 45 minutes. This partially alleviates the problem of limited autonomy. However, battery life remains a notable weak spot, especially for those who need a tablet that can run reliably for long periods of time without interruption. When we see the new Snapdragon-equipped Copilot Plus machines it’s a stain.
The final weakness of the Minisforum V3 is its tendency to heat up (peaks at 50 degrees) and create noise when used at full power. Although the AMD APU offers good performance, it has logical counterparts in terms of autonomy, heating and noise. During heavy tests, the machine can get quite hot and the fan can become noisy (at high frequencies), which may be annoying for some users. This can also affect battery life, which is already quite limited due to the power of the APU. So it is important to consider these factors before purchasing this machine, especially if you plan to use it for demanding tasks.
Cameras
The V3 has a 2.0-megapixel webcam on the front and a 5.0-megapixel unit on the back. Unfortunately, the quality of these cameras leaves something to be desired, with a poor performance in terms of clarity and detail.
Price and availability
The Minisforum V3 is priced at €1,099 with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD and €1,359 with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD.